On the evening of October 14th I was lucky enough to have been part of the continually great Tweet Tastings run by The Whisky Wire. This tasting featured Duncan Taylor, an award winning whiskey bottler. Originating in Glasgow before relocating to Huntly, Aberdeenshire in 2002. According to their website, there will soon be a distillery there of their own too! This evenings tasting would be extra special for myself as it would be my first tasting to feature a gin as well as the other three blended scotches to sample. Duncan Taylor also produce Rum as well as the aforementioned whiskey and gin. Politician – 40% ABV Nose: Dark chocolate, gentle burn on the nose, not over powering. Taste: A slice of fruit cake, with real butter on top. Finish: A peppery and slight citrus finish which is long lasting. I added just a drop of water on the third sip and felt that helped with that. This is really well worth checking out at this price. Black Bull 12 Year Old - 50% ABV A gorgeous autumnal colour

On the evening of 7th October 2020 I took part in yet another of the continually excellent Tweet Tastings. These tastings have been great during lock-down. I have been able to socially interact with and learn from fellow tasters thanks to these evenings. Tonight is no different and we are sampling three offerings from 'The Quiet Man' . Based in county Derry, Northern Ireland, founder Ciaran Mulgrew named the whiskey 'The Quiet Man' , or as we say back home 'An Fear Ciuin' after his father, John. He worked as a barman for fifty years in the pubs of Belfast and stayed true to the unwritten rule of barmen, to tell no tales. I'm sure he must have heard plenty of interesting stories over that half a century. First up for tasting is The Quiet Man Superior Blend. The Quiet Man Superior Blend The superior blend (40% ABV -) is 20% Irish malt and 80% grain whiskey. They have been matured in ex-bourbon barrels. This is a strikingly beautiful coloured dram. Nose Banana